War Between the Vanities
by ChrissyGleek
Summary: "You remember when we met?  We were in first grade, I was the shy quiet girl, and you were the diva in the corner.  Do you remember what you told me?  No one should have to be sad alone?  Because that goes for you too Kurt, don't ever forget it."
1. Chapter 1, Hello World

Tina was never an outspoken little girl. Her teachers liked her well enough, and her classmates dealt with her, but she never had any friends. She was lonely, but she tried not to mind. People just didn't want to be friends with the shy girl. She could deal with that, but what she couldn't deal with were all the people who liked to pick on her. In her seven year old mind, they really hated her, and she couldn't stand that. She wanted to stand up for herself, or to even talk to someone who would understand. But she was never good with words. She was just the shy girl in her first grade class, and she just had to deal with it.

So she sat in her corner of the room, drawing halfheartedly on her notebook as most of her classmates ran outside for recess. Tina hated recess, she wanted to talk to people, but she wasn't sure how, and when she just stood there, the boys would push her down. Eventually, she just decided to stay inside, even though she knew that wouldn't stop them from being mean. Her stomach twisted as she waited for whatever funny prank they would pull today. Sure enough about ten minutes into recess, she felt a hand push her head onto her desk. Pain flared in her head and tears began to form in her eyes, but she was trying really hard not to make a sound. She tried to pick her head up, but someone pushed it back down. She could hear her book bag being unzipped and the contents being thrown all around her. The tears finally fell as a notebook hit her in the head, and she tried to drown out what they were saying with the sound of her soft sobs. _It will be over soon, they'll get bored and go outside to play._

"Hey! Leave her alone!" A high pitched voice said, making Tina's sobs stall. She really wanted to pick her head up and see who it was that had finally noticed her, but she was afraid of getting shoved back into the desk. Besides, she was sure whoever it was would go away once they realized who they were standing up for. She was Timid Tina, the girl no one ever saw. No one cared if people were mean to her.

"Why should we, what does it matter to you?" They asked, sounding as surprised as she was that someone had stopped them. She heard an arrogant snort, and she risk a peak at her hero. It was a small brunette boy with his hands on his hips. She couldn't really see who it was, but she had never wanted someone to be her friend so badly, or to actually exist. She was almost convinced that this was all a dream and she was actually at home, her mother trying to feed her some odd soup and ibuprofen to lower her temperature.

"You pick on everyone, and not only is it stupid and should have been stopped long before now, but you've crossed a line. You don't hurt girls. It's pathetic." He said, sounding angry. Surprisingly, Tina felt the weight being lifted from her back, and she slowly sat up. Now she could fully see the boy, and she recognized him. He was kind of like her, quiet and disliked. But he wasn't shy. He played by himself, but he really didn't mind. He would talk to people, but people didn't usually talk to him. However, she had never seen him get angry like this. He was usually so calm. Tina was embarrassed that she couldn't remember his name.

"What's the difference, your just as much of a girl as she is." They said, coming closer to him. A rush of fear chilled her. Would they actually hurt the boy? He didn't seem nearly as worried as she did as he smiled slyly.

"I'm more of a man than your ever going to be, and more of a woman than your ever going to get. Now run along, that monitor is going to come back any minute now." Tina felt her jaw actually drop. The boys looked flustered, but they were backing up.

"Whatever, this is a waste of time anyway. But both of you better watch it." They said, going outside. Tina quickly collected herself and looked down so that he couldn't see her blushing. She was expecting him to slip away, but he sat down in the chair next to her.

"Are you ok? Hey, don't listen to those idiots; they probably don't remember what they had for breakfast this morning." He said, sounding lighthearted. And just like that, Tina felt tears fall down her face. She wasn't sure why, she only knew that it felt amazing for him to talk to her, to care about her. No one did that, other than her parents. She was Tina, she didn't have any friends, and she didn't really care. So why did he reduce her to tears with this one act of kindness? Even now, he was peaking down to get a better look at her face, his eyes showing concern. It only made her cry harder.

"Oh honey, it's ok." He said softly, pulling her into a hug and letting her sob into his nice jacket. She felt her whole body shaking, but it helped that he was rubbing soothing circles into her back and whispering in her ear. Soon her sobs turned to soft sniffles and the boy pulled back to look in her eyes.

"You feel better now?" He asked, as she nodded shyly. She was rewarded with one of the brightest smiles she had ever seen.

"Good, my name's Kurt, and your Tina Cohen-Chang. It's a pleasure to formally meet you." He said, sounding much older than he was. Tina felt a genuine smile play at her lips.

"You too, thanks for helping me." She said in her quiet, sing-song voice. His smile faltered a bit.

"You don't have to thank me, those boys shouldn't be able to get away with that. And no one should ever have to be sad alone." He said, taking her hands. She felt her cheeks redden, but for once she isnt actually embarrassed. She feels warm inside, and it was nice.


	2. Chapter 2, Rooftop Medley

**A/N **Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! I am so happy that someone noticed the RENT quote! I slipped it in there hoping someone would catch it, and you never disappoint! So I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Tina to the rescue time!

Kurt and Tina quickly became attached at the hip, and that's why she was the only one to notice when Kurt started missing weeks of school at a time. Even when he was there, he wasn't actually _there._ No one else would ever really notice, but Tina knew her friend was holding the world on his small shoulders. She wanted to do something, anything to help him, but she was scared to find out what was wrong. So they skirted around the subject whenever they were together, which was getting to be less and less often. Tina realized how much she had grown used to his company. She was even lonelier than she had been before.

And then he came back to school full time, but he just wasn't the same. Sure, they still talked, but he was never really happy anymore. That amazing smile she had seen the day they had really met refused to reappear. Still, she avoided the subject of why he was upset. She was terrified if she ever figured out what had happened, she wouldn't be able to stop crying. And Kurt didn't need that, he needed a friend. His best friend.

"Please don't..." Tina heard someone sniffle from outside. She had been reading a book, but now she was unable to keep from eavesdropping.

"Only babies play with stuffed animals. Baby girls. Maybe if we get rid of this, you'll finally grow up."

"No! Please don't! Just give it back to me, please!" The voice yelped, sounding oddly familiar. Immediately, Tina looked around the room. She was the only one there, no Kurt. She got up, wanting to help her friend, but scared of the bigger boys.

"Oh, is the baby crying to his mommy?" Someone asked in a baby voice. Tina heard a funny sound, and she risked a peak around the door. It really was Kurt's voice, surrounded by three bigger boys. He had his arms wrapped around his stomach, and his body was shaking violently.

It took her a while to realize he was shaking because he was crying.

She didn't even really think as she ran to them, determined to finally do something. Kurt was so collected, so strong. She had never, _ever _seen him cry. She pushed the boy directly in front of him, and saw that he was holding a stuffed rabbit.

"Give it back." She said, sounding unusually mean. Or at least she thought she did, but apparently they didn't as they laughed.

"If you two girls want it back, you'll have to go get it!" He said, throwing the rabbit in the air, making it land on the roof with a cruel thud. She heard Kurt choke on a painful sounding sob. She tried to push the boy again, but he pushed her into Kurt, who fell back into the chain link fence. The boys walked happily away, but she didn't waste another glance on them as she turned to face her friend. He had a hand over his mouth, and his face showed sadness so deep that it hurt. He sank to the ground, not even caring that he was getting his jeans dirty. Tina held him as he cried; at least until the monitor came over and saw what was wrong. After Tina explained to her what happened, she pulled Kurt into a hug and took him inside.

After Ms. Miller, made sure Kurt was ok and sent the boys to the principal's office, she sat Tina down and explained everything to her as gently as she could. About how Kurt's mother had been very sick for a long time, and had died last week. How that stuffed bunny had been the last thing she had given him, the object he had let her hold as she took her last breathe. The pain and sadness of the situation took her over, but she couldn't produce tears. _It's not fair, it's just not fair._ Things like this shouldn't happen, especially to people like Kurt. But as much as the sadness was crushing her, she couldn't cry.

And that's how she ended up on the roof, a ladder to her right, crawling toward that stuffed bunny rabbit. Because Kurt deserved to have that bunny, and if Tina had anything to do with it, he would get it back. She hardly noticed the crowed that was forming below her. The only thing she could think about was getting to that bunny. Well, that and not falling.

"Tina! Come down this instant!" Ms. Miller cried, sounding panicky. She tried to ignore her, but she lost her footing and let out a shrill cry.

"Tina, don't do this! You're going to get hurt!" She held on tight, but turned to face the one voice that could faze her right then. Not a good idea, seeing as she was beginning to feel sick as she thought of how high up she was. Kurt had tears in his eyes again, but this time he didn't really look sad. Just really scared.

"But I have to get your bunny! You need it!" She cried, trying to sound like she wasn't scared out of her mind too.

"Tina, all I need is for you to be ok! I can live without the bunny, but I cant live without you! I cant lose you Tina!" He cried back up to her, his tears falling freely now. She swallowed painfully, looking back at the bunny. It was right in front of her.

"Ok, I'll come down!" She screamed as the adults rushed for the ladder. When she got back down, Kurt ran to her and hugged her so tightly she felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Oh my God, I didn't know if I would ever see you again! Please Tina, never do anything like that for me again! I don't need a stupid bunny as much as I need you!" He said, his voice higher than normal from crying. Tina smiled and pulled away to unzip her jacket.

"I hope you still need it a little bit, because if you don't my Rooftop Adventure will have been just for kicks." She said, holding out the rabbit. His eyes widened as he took it, but then that amazing smile lit up his face and he hugged her again.

"You are so great Tina!" He said, and she smiled, feeling warm and important.


	3. Chapter 3, The Reason In The Night

Over time, Kurt and Tina made more friends, and they found themselves drifting apart. But hey, that happens right? It's not like they weren't still friends, they just weren't _best friends._ Kurt had begun talking to a girl named Mercedes and Tina, well Tina was trying to fit in with the in-crowd. She never thought that she would want that, but who really wants to be hated all throughout school? So Tina sat at the popular girls table, listening but hardly ever contributing to their conversations. Most of the girls' didn't mind her being there, so they let her stay. The reward? A free pass. People didn't pick on her anymore, didn't call her names. But once again, she was lonely. She missed having actual friends who cared about her. She missed Kurt.

They couldn't be on more opposite sides of the popularity spectrum now. Tina wasn't popular, not quite, but she definitely wasn't the bottom of the barrel either. Kurt however couldn't fall much lower. As middle school began, the bullying increased, and it wasn't odd to see him or Mercedes falling to the ground or being pushed into lockers. Tina felt bad about standing by, but really, what could she do? Even now that she wasn't quite a loser, she still wasn't a confident person who could defend herself, much less other people. So she sat back and watched, feeling a guilty rush of relief that they weren't her anymore. What hurt the most though was when Kurt would come up to talk to her at school and her new friends would come to join her. The sad look that he gave her almost made her want to run after him, to tell him that she was sorry for ever deserting him. But she didn't run after him, she couldn't even defend him when her friends talked about his clothes or his voice after he left.

"Hey Tina, come here for a second." A boy from her homeroom called out to her, beckoning to a deserted hallway. She followed blindly, not even thinking about what he could want. "Yes?" She asked quietly.

"I didn't need to ask you a question baby; I just wanted to see how you were doing." He said, stepping closer to her. She backed up, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. She remembered him more clearly as he advanced on her. Some of the girls had been talking about how he flirted with her so outrageously. Was he flirting now? Tina didn't have a lot of experience in that area.

"I'm doing fine, thank you. But I really need to get to class." She said, trying to leave but the boy put his arm out in front of her. She looked in his eyes, and she really didn't like what she saw. She felt trapped, her back pressed against the wall and a hand beside her face, preventing her from escaping.

"Why would you want to go to class, we were just having such an interesting conversation. Better yet, if you want to learn, I could teach you something." Ok, now she was really scared. And it wasn't just a bad feeling anymore. A shiver ran down her spine as he moved in closer.

"Don't." She said quietly, unsure of what he would do. Did he want to kiss her? Something else? He wouldn't stop coming closer to her, so she put out a hand to stop him. He just ran his free hand down her arm and pulled her to him, his hands going to her butt. She yelped, unable to make any other sound. Her heart was racing so fast that she was sure he could hear it. She had an overwhelming need for someone, _anyone, _to come down that hallway and see her. To help her. She saw one of her so-called-friends pass by, but she didn't even spare her a passing glance. Oh God, they were going to leave her here, they were going to let him...

"Hey! Get your hands _off of her!_" Someone yelled, pushing the boy away from her. Tina backed up immediately, trying to get as far away from him as possible. She looked up to see someone standing in front of her protectively. She would know that nice blue jacket anywhere. Kurt.

"Dude, chill out, I was just having a...oh not a dude. What is your problem queer?" The boy asked with a sneer. Mercedes decided to make her appearance then, standing beside Kurt with her arms crossed over her chest. Tina felt a rush of warmth go through her. They were both standing in front of her, making sure she didn't get hurt. Protecting her.

"The only problem here is you. Didn't your momma ever teach you if you to keep your hands to yourself? If she didn't, you better learn fast. Keep your hands away from our friend."

"Your friend!" The boy said, laughing in Mercedes' face. "I've never seen her hanging around you losers. Tina is one of the cool girls, and I'm one of the cool guys. I don't expect you to know, seeing as no one else will be your friend and you two would never get together, but this is how it is. It's the natural order of things." Tina began to feel a little sick. This boy, even though he was horrible, was right. She had never been friends with Mercedes and she had flat out ignored Kurt ever since sixth grade had started. They had no reason to help her, yet they had rushed to her aid when her friends had walked right by and left her.

"There is nothing natural about you forcing yourself on an unwilling girl. She told you to leave her alone, so that's what you're going to do." Kurt said darkly, glaring at the boy. Tina cringed when he reached out and shoved Kurt into the wall next to her.

"Make me then. Fight me." He said, advancing on Kurt now. Tina took a sharp breathe, sure that he was about to be hit.

"That is it! I'm about to rock your world punk!" Mercedes yelled, grabbing him by the shoulders, pulling him away from Kurt and into the wall opposite them. He tried to hit her, but he didn't even notice Kurt coming at him. Next thing any of them knew, the boy was on the ground, his hand on his reddening cheek. Tina gapped with surprise, seeing that Kurt's fists were pressed against his sides.

"You really should learn some manners." Kurt said harshly, sounding frightening to say the least.

"Now run along, and be sure to tell everyone who gave you that black eye." Mercedes added, the smirk she wore evident in her voice. The boy quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to gather what dignity he had left up as he left.

"Tina, are you ok?" "Hey, it's going to be alright." "Don't worry, he's gone now." The two of them cooed over her as they bent down to hug her tightly from the floor. Tina tried to nod, hardly aware that she was crying softly. Kurt whipped her tears away as Mercedes rocked her slowly back and forth.

"It's ok sweetie, we'll…" Mercedes began to say, but was cut off by the bell signaling the end of third period. All three of them froze, knowing this was a turning point. Mercedes sat back, putting a hand on Kurt's arm. She knew that he and Tina had been really good friends, and it had hurt him when she had ignored him in middle school. She couldn't see the girl giving up her popularity to be around losers, no matter how fabulous they may be. She was ok with that; she just didn't want to see her friend hurt again.

"I…I guess we better…go then." Kurt said, smiling hesitantly. He didn't want to leave Tina, especially as upset as she was. He wanted to walk her to class, at least to make sure she was safe. More than anything though, he just wanted her to be his friend again.

"Wait! Um…do you mind…oh I suck at words! Thank you, I really didn't deserve any of that. It's obvious who my real friends are and I'd…I'd really like it if you would let me be your friend again. Both of you." Tina said, blushing furiously as she babbled her heart out. Kurt and Mercedes exchanged a glance that Tina was sure said more than an hour long phone call. Then they turned back to her and smiled collectively.

"I would like that. I would like that a lot."

"Welcome to the Geek Squad white girl!"

**A/N **Sorry for the wait! Next chapter will consist of some Tina and Mercedes goodness, to establish the relationship I have oh so tediously laid out for them *sarcasm*. Haha but thank you guys for reading, and please review! It honestly makes my day


	4. Chapter 4, The Rest is Still Unwritten

The week following was one of the best Tina could remember. Kurt and Mercedes were the two best friends she always secretly wished she had, stealing moments to tell her little pieces of gossip in the hallway and having long conversations at the lunch table. She loved it, loved how they accepted her so easily. Already she felt like they were all best friends. Everything was going amazingly, but she knew it could never last.

The day it all went down, Kurt was out of school sick. Tina didn't really know what to expect but, sure enough, Mercedes was there waiting by her locker when she got there. She smiled, happy to see that Mercedes still wanted to hang out with her even though Kurt wasn't there. They walked to class, idly talking about silly girl things. New outfits, the latest gossip, what they were doing this weekend. It wasn't until lunch when they ran into trouble.

"Hey Tina, I was just wondering where exactly you lost your last brain cell? I thought maybe we could start up a search." Jenna said, leaning across their table to act like she was concerned. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mercedes roll her eyes. Tina wished she could do that, or at least come up with something colorful to say. None of that happened.

"Huh?" _Nice, give the girl a prize for originality._

"Don't play dumb Tina. A couple of days I could understand, maybe you could be working on a science project. I know you're into all that grades stuff. But a week is just too much. So if you're done with your quick identity crisis, why don't you come back over to our table before we decide that were too embarrassed to be around you." Her voice was so sickly sweet that Tina feared for her lunch. Well, she feared her lunch before, but not it's reappearance. Still, she smiled shyly and tried to respond without too much sarcasm.

"Um, I think I'll just stay here. Thank you though." She said quietly, looking down at the food on her tray. The butterflies in her stomach did a dance, and she felt her face turning red. She could only wait for what she knew would come.

"Stay here? Tina, I have offered you something that people have to work their whole lives for. You'd be an idiot to pass it up." Jenna said haughtily, putting her hands on her hips. Tina refrained from rolling her eyes, but only just.

"I know that Jenna, but I just want to sit here."

"With this loser? She takes up the whole freaking table!" She raged, her face turning red. Tina's head snapped up, her own anger rising, but she felt Mercedes grab her hand and refrained from saying anything. She wouldn't be able to out-talk the loud mouthed girl, and she didn't know anyone who could.

"I don't even know why we even talked to you in the first place. You never talk, you act like some sort of freakish vampire, and the only person you can attract is that disgusting Joey Halls. But now you've embarrassed us, so I'm going to make your life a living hell. You better watch it in dark alleys…"

"Oh please, like anyone is scared of you drama queen? Take that stick that is surgically implanted up your ass out for a minute so you can hear me clearly. You're no more threatening to us than a fuzzy squirrel that decided to try its luck as a guard dog. And who the hell are you to be calling me fat? Your hips have a continent all their own and they make you the exact opposite of top heavy since you have nothing in that spray tanned head of yours but hairspray. You talk about Tina not being able to attract a guy, but I've never seen you attract anyone who wasn't there just for your status or that generous cake stand you call an ass. The truth is that you're going to be the one working in a bar or on a pole. Us? We're the ones that actually care about something other than a platinum spot in the yearbook, and we're the ones that are going to be selling records. We've only just began kicking butt and taking names, and we've just gotten to the part where we take addresses and phone numbers just to call people up and remind them how fabulous we are. Maybe Tina just decided to rearrange her priorities, and stop hanging around with the Future Victims of Skin Cancer Association." Mercedes ranted, causing everyone in the cafeteria to put a halt to whatever they were doing and stare. This was the type of thing that was life changing, a momentous occasion. Jenna had nothing to say.

"Whatever. Just stay away from our table freaks." She said, turning on her heal. Mercedes snorted loudly.

"Wouldn't dream of coming near it, mono probably spreads by air over there." She said, making sure Jenna could hear. All was quiet for a moment, but then you could hear various people cheering. Tina was still awestruck.

"Wow. Mercedes…that was amazing!" Tina said with stars in her eyes. She couldn't believe that her new friend had just stood up for her like that in front of the whole school. It amazed her even more that the diva thought nothing of it, shrugging as if it were no big deal and sipping on her orange juice.

"Honey, I just told the girl the truth. How she takes it is her problem. And no one messes with my friends." She said, cutting her eyes in a mock glare. Tina smiled brightly.

"So, we're really friends then?" She asked, butterflies swarming in her stomach as she spoke. Mercedes turned to face her.

"Definitely. I like you Tina, and not just because Kurt likes you. Though, I'm going to have to warn you, if you hurt him again, I will cut you." She said, narrowing her eyes in hesitant suspicion. Tina put up her hands, assuring the girl that she had nothing to fear.

"I won't, I would never hurt him again. I hate that I did at all, I just hope he'll forgive me." She said, looking down in thought. Mercedes took her hands and waited for her to look up before speaking again.

"Baby, he already has. We wouldn't be having this conversation if he hadn't. I know you guys have been friend longer, but we've become kind of close…"

"I've seen, and I'm glad. Your really good for him Mercedes, and your really good for me too." Tina said, smiling happily. She hadn't had this much ease with words in a long time, and it felt refreshing. She loved it when Mercedes smiled, blushing slightly.

"Thanks Tina, that means a lot. I'm glad we found you, I think you're a keeper! Oh dang, we got to go!" Mercedes panicked, pulling a confused Tina up and out the door.

"Why? We still have thirty minutes before lunch is over!" She said, wondering what the big rush was. Mercedes laughed and swung them into the handicap stall of the girls bathroom. Then she whipped out her phone.

"What? Handicap stall has the best reception." She said when she noticed Tina's still confused glance. It took two rings for whoever she was calling to pick up.

"Hey 'Cedes. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to leave me to my lonesome." Oh, of course Tina thought to herself, she was calling Kurt. Even if he sounded like he couldn't breathe, she would know that voice anywhere. Mercedes laughed quietly, bringing the phone a little closer as she leaned against the support handle.

"Baby, I would never leave you lonely. But hey, at least I'm not all by myself now. Say hello to Tina!" She said, stretching the phone toward Tina.

"Why hello Tina, pleasure to hear you!" He exclaimed, sounding funny as he tried to talk normally, but ended up having to blow his nose loudly.

"Hey there Kurtsie, enjoying your day off…" She said, trailing off as he sneezed powerfully.

"Dang baby, you sound bad. You gone to the doctor yet?" Mercedes asked, looking concerned.

"No, I'm fine. I just have a cold, probably from that ice thing yesterday." He said, not sounding very convincing. But Mercedes let it go, making a sympathetic noise.

"I know, that was horrible. I heard they actually have a slushy machine at high school, that's really going to suck." She said, looking sorrowful. Tina hadn't been there for the ice incident, but she had heard about it. Apparently when Kurt and Mercedes had been walking out of the gym, talking excitedly like they usually were, some of the baseball players came up and shoved ice down their shirts and pants. Tina had come out of science class to meet up with them only to see her two best friends completely soaked and shivering.

"Yikes, don't remind me, I'm going to have to go make some soup now just to warm up!"

They talked for the whole thirty minutes, only hanging up after the warning bell. Mercedes hesitated for at least five minutes, badgering Kurt about fluids and bed rest. Finally, they just agreed that she was coming over after school to take care of him since his dad was at work. Tina finally was able to drag her out of the stall, just in time for the tardy bell to ring. The pair looked at each other for a moment, unsure of how to handle the situation. Tina threw her hands in the air.

"Nice, now we could have just hid out in the bathroom the whole period! Have you noticed no one comes in here?" She said, trying to keep a straight face. She met eyes with Mercedes, and they both burst out laughing.

"Yea, I wonder why we've never thought of this before! You know what Tina, screw it. We're skipping class for the first time in our lives, and you know what? I'm giving you a makeover. We'll finish this at Kurt's house." She said, retrieving a brush and a pair of scissors. And for the next hour, they just sat there. In the handicap stall. Doing Tina's makeup and hair. And when Mercedes put her in front of the mirror to see the new Tina, she realized that the reflection she saw was who she really was. More mature, more bold and just happy. This was the new Tina, Mercedes and Kurt's Tina, and she loved it.

**A/N **So yea, there we go! So I'm planning something kind of unexpected in the next chapter, but im not quite sure what I'm doing after that. I have an idea, but it's a bit angsty, and I'm not sure if everyone would want that? Well, that's it for the writers lament. Give me your opinions please, and remember, reviews are love 3


	5. Chapter 5 Sorrow Lasts

It totally wasn't ignoring someone to not talk to them for a week, right? Tina had known that she had been busy lately with the Chinese New Year and all the family traditions that went along with it, but as she walked into school alone on a cold, wet Monday morning, she realized that she hadn't talked to Mercedes or Kurt in over a week. Even for all of them to be busy at once, not speaking for a week was beyond ridiculous. She tried to track them down before first period, but neither of them we're at their lockers.

Not like they were avoiding her or anything, it had only been a week, right? Right. And she left it at that until lunch period, when she found Finn Hudson messing with her book bag.

"Are you trying to steal my homework or something?" She asked finally, trying to make her voice light and joking. She was scared that maybe he would be angry she caught him. The guy was twice her size, but she didn't need to be afraid. He quickly jumped away from her bag, looking embarrassed.

"Uh, no. Actually, I was just trying to slip something in your bag. So much for staying innocuous," He said, handing her a DVD as his face turned bright red. She took it without a thought, unable to resist the urge to smile at the goofy jock. He might be one of the popular kids, but Finn couldn't hurt a fly unless he stepped on it. Hey, the boy was pretty clumsy off the field.

"You mean inconspicuous? Hey, what is this anyway?" She asked, turning it over in her hand. It was definitely a DVD, but what reason did Finn have to give it to her? He looked so embarrassed it was almost painful to ask.

"Just…just watch it. You wont regret it. And don't…just please don't tell anyone I gave it to you, 'kay? I think Quinn would kill me." He said, honestly looking nervous. It sobered Tina quickly, if Finn was afraid of what was on this video, she was petrified.

"Finn, why are you doing this for me?"

"Because…..because no one deserves what they are going to do to you guys. Just…just watch the video, ok? And Tina, I'm really sorry." He said, smiling shyly once more before walking away. Tina didn't waste time as she went to the storage room to get a laptop. She sat down at a old wooden bench, and once she was sure she would be alone, she slipped the DVD into the computer. The image that came up made Tina hold her breath.

"No, no you're lying. Tina wouldn't do anything like that. She's our friend." Kurt said stubbornly, answering an unheard question. Mercedes was standing at his side, looking upset and more than a little pissed off.

"If you actually believe that, your beyond naïve. Tina is only out for herself. If she was ever friend with you, it was only because she needed you, not because she wanted to. Problem is, now she needs us. We can protect her, you can't." Quinn said, her face a mask of false concern. Mercedes grabbed for Kurt's hand, providing comfort from the horrible lie. Quinn looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled slightly. If you weren't looking for it, you would think she was slightly amused. But Tina saw the malice there, the joy she was getting from hurting her friends this way. And it seriously ticked her off.

"Why should we believe you anyway? It's not like you've ever been anything but horrible to us." Mercedes said, less anger in her voice than denial. Quinn scoffed at her.

"Well lets see, what exactly did she say? That you were conceited and only thought about yourself? Or that you had "brought her down for way too long,"? I mean, what did you expect? Who really wants to hang around the queer kid and his big boned best friend?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips daintily.

"She….she said that? But why would she…." Kurt tried to say, before Quinn cut him off, sounding irritated.

"Um, maybe she's just wising up? Hanging around the people that will go places, instead of the schools resident minority group? Maybe she decided that she doesn't want to hang around _that _side of town, or that she would be a _Christian _and actually listen to the bible. You know what the Bible says about people like you, right?"

"Shut the hell up Quinn Fabray! What is your problem anyway?" Mercedes yelled at her, tears finally appearing in her eyes. Those last insults had really hit them both hard, and their faith in her was wavering. Tina felt sick to her stomach.

"I'm just repeating what she said. Don't shoot the massager, right?" She said, beginning to walk away, but then looking over her shoulder. "Just remember, she left you once without a second thought. What makes you think she wouldn't do it again?"

And with a toss of her hair, she walked away, leaving her broken best friends shocked into silence. But whoever was holding the camera kept filming.

"Damn it." Mercedes said quietly, running her hand through her hair and trying to hold back the tears that now threatened to overflow. Then, as if she had remembered something, she looked up.

"Kurt, are you ok baby?" She asked, taking his other hand and staring at him until he looked her in the eye. His face was turning red like it always did when he was about to cry.

"I…I guess I should of expected it. But I guess...I just thought…maybe she had changed. That maybe she wouldn't leave this time. And now she hates us?" He said, the tears finally falling. Mercedes' face crumpled, and she pulled him in for a tight hug.

"Do you think she really said those things about us?" Mercedes asked, her voice sounding small for once.

"I…I don't know. I always wondered what I had done wrong before, I guess now I know." He said, lowering his head into her neck. Tina could hardly hear what he said, but it sounded a lot like "I'm a freak." Mercedes eyes snapped open, and she pulled back to look at her friend. Tears were falling steadily down his face now.

"What did you say?" She asked, seeming to be unable to understand how he could think that. He took a shaky breath and tried to speak clearly, but the waver in his voice just wouldn't stay away.

"Quinn's right. Tina's right. Who would ever want to be around me? I'm a freak, I'm a sin by just existing. Why would I ever think anyone would want to be friends with me?" He asked, his voice becoming so small that she could hardly hear him. Mercedes' tears fell faster as she pulled her friend to sit down. He wasn't even annoyed that his pants were getting dirty.

"Hey, don't you ever believe that anything either one of them said was true. Anyone who thinks that you're a sin has obviously never met you. You are one of the most caring, compassionate people I've ever met, and you have awesome fashion sense too. And you forgot that I will always want to be around you. I will always be your friend, and I wouldn't leave you even if you tried to make me. Face it, your stuck with me boo." She said, nudging his shoulder. He laughed weakly, returning the jab.

"You think I couldn't take you on?"

"Oh, I think you could, but you wouldn't win. Plus, you wouldn't. I'm too fabulous to order way."

"You right about that." He said, pulling her into an awkward looking, but warm hug.

"Thanks 'Cedes, your amazing."

"And don't you forget it. Look, let's just settle that we are too fabulous for anyone else to handle and get through the day with our heads held high. Then we can go home and watch crappy chick flicks with a tub of cookie dough ice cream and a bowl full of chips. Sound good?" She asked, leaning in so that she could see her friends face. He looked up and smiled at her, looking genuinely happy even though his face was still red from being so upset and embarrassed.

"Sounds good, but I get to pick the movie this time." He said, making Mercedes laugh. They climbed to their feet, only to be hit with a slushy and pushed back down.

"Get used to it losers, this is high school for ya!"

"Better get a weight loss video, or you're going to fill your own continent!"

"Rainbow is really your color!" They remarked, each throwing another of the cold, sticky drink on her friends. They all moved on, laughing and high fiving each other liked they owned the school. Except for one Joey Halls.

"So I hear you couldn't keep the quietest girl in school around for more than a month. Man, you two must really be losers. Though, maybe she just felt a little crowded by Big, Blonde, and Beautiful." He said, leaning down to get on their level. Not the best idea, as he ended up hurtling backwards when Kurt's foot hit his stomach. He coughed, trying to hid the pain in his eyes as they stood up.

"Screw you Joey, your ego is enough to fill the whole damn room, and you have about as much personality as either one of us has in our pinky." Mercedes said, somehow looking extremely angry and hurt at the same time. Kurt was trying to wipe slush out of his eyes, so he didn't see Joey coming before he shoved him into the locker. Even Tina could see the locker shake with the force, and even though it broke her heart, she wasn't surprised to hear his pained whimper.

"No one is going to make a fool out of me, especially not the resident fairy!" He said, looking angrier than she had ever seen him. Fear went through her as Mercedes grabbed at his arm.

"Get the hell off of him! Just leave us alone!" She yelled, tears falling again. He let go of Kurt, only to shove Mercedes to the ground.

"Why don't you make me? I'm sick of you two acting like you can do whatever you want around here! Someone should teach the two of you a lesson." He said, stalking toward Mercedes and slamming her into the lockers. Her breathing quickened, anticipating the worst.

"No! Leave her alone!" Kurt screamed at him, pulling at his arm to no avail. Finally, when he raised his hand to hit her, Kurt did what he knew would get his attention. He punched him right in the nose. He yelled, bringing a hand to his nose to stop the blood. Then the rage came back into his eyes and he grabbed Kurt by the throat. He didn't say anything, but the cold fury in his eyes was enough. He was past reasoning with now.

"No, stop it! You're going to kill him! Stop it, please!" Mercedes said, full on sobs racking her body as she pulled at the massive jock. But he wasn't moving. Kurt was flailing under him, gasping for air. Oh god, was he really going to kill him? Tina covered her mouth with her hand, realizing her own face was wet with tears.

"Hey, what the hell…Joey, what are you doing?" Finn asked, sounding incredibly shocked as he rounded the corner into the deserted back hallway. Mercedes looked up, looking at Finn like he was a Godsend.

"Finn, help! Please!" She yelled at him, making him move almost automatically into motion. He shoved Joey out of the way, yelling something at him. But Tina wasn't paying attention to him. Her eyes were watching her two best friends. Kurt fell to the floor again, and Mercedes fell with him, holding him tightly as they both cried. She hardly noticed Joey leave, and didn't see Finn standing there awkwardly until the camera started to move.

"Smile dorks! You're on Camera-Camera! And say high to Tina while your at it." Jenna said mockingly from behind the camera. All three were shocked into silence, but when she pushed the camera toward Mercedes, she snapped.

"Get that thing away from me! And if your watching this Tina, I hope your finally happy!" She yelled, tears clotting her voice as she swatted at the camera. But Jenna just laughed and kept it trained on them. Kurt tried to put his mask on again, to act like he didn't care as he pulled himself and Mercedes to their feet. And you would have believed it, if he hadn't have been shaking.

"You people are horrible." He said quietly, more sadness in his voice than anger. They ran down the hall, not looking back as they busted through the front door of the school. Jenna's tinkling laughter filled the screan along with Finn's confused look for a few seconds until the camera turned off. Tina shut the computer, trying to process all that she had seen. She tried to take the DVD out of the drive, but her hands were shaking so much that she dropped it. As she bent to pick it up, she was filled with anger, and she threw the offending object at the wall. With that gone, she felt oddly hollow. She sank to the ground, a sob coming from her throat as she realized what had been done.

"Ah, hell." She said to herself, covering her face with her hands and full out crying. She knew that someone might see her, but she doubted they would and frankly, she didn't really cared. Her two best friends thought she was some kind of horrible monster, and she had just gone on with her life without trying to convince them otherwise. She knew that she had to do something, anything to make this better. But for right now, all she could do was cry about how unfair it was for this to happen to them.

**A/N** Well, ill admit, this actually was not supposed to be here. I had planned to just skip ahead to the high school after the last chapter, but then I got this amazing review with suggestions and BAM! This came out. No idea where it came from, but here it is. And, it will be continued! So…did you like it? Hate it? Either way, drop me a review! I love them things :P.


	6. Chapter 6 Have I Told You Lately?

Tina didn't waste any time after school got out before she asked her father if he could just drop her off at Mercedes house. She knew it probably wasn't the brightest idea to show up unannounced, especially now. But she wanted to talk to Mercedes first, because she knew that she would only be furious with her. She could handle that, actually, she thought that she preferred for the girl to scream at her. It would be a lot better than seeing Kurt and knowing that she had hurt him. Again.

"Um, hi Tina. I'm not sure if Mercedes is…up for visitors at the moment." Ms. Jones said, trying to be polite even though the resentment and disapproval was clearly written on her face. Tina's eyes filled, and before she had a chance to stop herself, she was crying. Great, now she thought she was pathetic and backstabbing liar.

"Ms…I'm so sorry! I know you don't want to hear this, but I swear that I never said any of those things Quinn told Mercedes! They just…they…" She tried to choke out as her sobs cut her off. And these weren't soft little girly sobs either, no that wouldn't be humiliating sobs. These were shacking, snotty, oh-my-God-are-you-having-a-seizure sobs. And they simply wouldn't stop. So she cried, closing her eyes because the pain in her chest was almost unbearable. Before she knew what was happening, she had a pair of hesitant arms around her.

"Shh honey, now what were you saying?" She asked, trying to sound comforting, but she could tell that the woman still didn't trust her. A horrible noise came from her mouth before she had a chance to stop it,

"They…they set me up. They wanted to get back at me, so they told Kurt and Mercedes all those things about me, and I just can't believe it! I just…I'm so sorry!" She said, feeling a little bit better when Ms. Jones' arms tightened around her, her fingers running down her hair.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry. Mercedes…she isn't very happy as you would expect. She's upstairs with Kurt, but I need to warn you, if you're lying to me, I won't hesitate to throw you out of my house, ok?" She said, pulling her back to look in her eyes seriously. She seemed to relax when she saw Tina's eyes only held relief.

"I wouldn't lie about this 'mam, they're my best friends. I…I couldn't do this." She said, wiping the tears from their eyes. "Have they been out of school since Tuesday?" She asked hesitantly, only knowing that the video was taken Tuesday. Ms. Jones' eyes got dark.

"Yes, both I and Mr. Hummel decided to just let them skip this week. They have had enough to deal with this week, and honestly, I don't think I would feel comfortable letting Mercy go to school. They're…they're both a mess." She said, looking upset herself as she glanced at the staircase. "How much do you know about what happened?"

"I know everything Jenna videotaped. F…Someone gave me the video today because he felt sorry and I came right away. If you don't mind me asking…what happened afterwards?" She asked, hesitating because she knew that this might be too much to ask.

"From what I hear, they ran out of school and walked back to Kurt's house because they knew that he should be working. But apparently they didn't think it would take so long because by the time they came up, we were all there, about to go looking for them. They were…they looked really bad. They were both really scared, so we didn't even get a chance to yell at them about how scared we were before they told us all that happened. Ever since then, we've been switching off days to look after them. Today is my day, and tomorrow is Burt's. It's horrible to watch. If we aren't careful they'll start and be scared all over again for the next hour. You have to open the door, make sure they know you there, speak quietly…I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She said, laughing nervously. They stood awkwardly for a few moments before Mercedes' mother lead her to her daughters room. And just like that, Tina was standing at the mouth of the lion's den. She took a deep breath and opened the door quietly.

A movie was playing from the TV, but it was quiet and hardly noticeable. The two figures on the bed didn't seem to be watching it anyway. Mercedes had her head resting on Kurt's shoulder, his head leaning toward hers. Their hands were intertwined, but Mercedes free hand was wrapped around her body. She seemed to be at least half asleep. Kurt was running his fingers through her hair lazily, looking tired himself. And then he saw her, and the half smile he had been wearing vanished.

"Tina?" He said, his voice an octave higher than usual from shock. Mercedes opened her eyes and didn't waste anytime before glaring at the girl.

"Oh hell to the no, what makes you think you can just waltz in here after all you did? You want to make it worse or something? Or are you here to apologize, because honestly Tina, there is nothing to say." She said, her eyes narrowing and her words containing enough venom to give Tina chills. She tried to take a breath to calm herself, but she could already feel the tears rising again.

"I know what it looks like Mercedes, but please, please just hear me out. I had no idea that this was going on. I didn't even know about it until today!" She tried to remain calm, but she knew her voice was nearing a scream at the end. It was silent for a moment, the tension in the air palpable enough to cut through.

"Why should we trust you Tina? I'm not trying to be mean, but deep down, we all honestly knew that you would probably go back to the popular crowd once you realized what being with us meant. We just didn't expect you to be so mean about it." Kurt said, his voice nearing a whisper, but it held the same chill that Mercedes' had.

"Wh…why would you think that I would do something like this?" She asked quietly, honestly afraid of the answer.

"Because you've done it before Tina. You need people to accept you more than anything else in the world. You would never admit it, but you do." He said, trying to be gentle, but his eyes told his real feelings. He was wary of her, he didn't believe her. And why should he? She tried to argue her point, but Mercedes cut her off.

"Don't even try to deny it Tina. I haven't even known you as long, and I know that you cant deal with someone not thinking well of you. Is this what you had to do for them to accept you? Do you realize that one of us could have been seriously hurt on top of the _humiliation _of being dumped _on camera? _If you actually wanted to apologize, why didn't you come days ago?"

"Because I didn't even know until today! That's what I've been trying to tell you, I had no part in this! The only way I figured out was because I got this!" She said, holding the DVD up. Both pairs of eyes widened in surprise.

"Who…who gave you that?"

"Finn, but you cant tell anyone. He's scared half to death that someone is going to figure out he slipped it to me. I came right after I saw it. I'm so sorry about this, but I didn't know. Jenna just wanted to get back at me, and you guys were the easiest way for her to do that." She pleaded, hoping fervently that they would understand. They looked at each other in that way that you knew they had to be reading each other's minds.

"Why should we believe you Tina? Give us one good reason." Mercedes said, her voice level.

"Because you two are the best friends I've ever had! I've never actually been myself around anyone but you two. Because every single word of what you said was true, but being friends with you has made me realize that being accepted isn't really that important. Why should I ever need the world when I have friends as amazing as the two of you? I hated Jenna and Quinn, but I put up with them because I was stupid and didn't know what I was missing. And now that I know, I think it would kill me to let it go. I could never hurt you, either of you, that way. Not again." She said, pouring out every emotion she was feeling as she spoke. Mercedes looked like she was mostly convinced, but to her surprise, Kurt still looked wary. Like she was a dog that was about to bite him. The tears came without hesitation.

"Kurt, I know that you have absolutely no reason to trust me. You didn't have a reason to trust me when you took me back, and you certainly don't now. But I can honestly say that all of those years when I sat with Jenna and listened to her rant, I wished that I hadn't been so stupid to let you go. You're the one person that saw through my quiet face and saw me for me. When we met, we agreed that we would make sure that we would never leave each other lonely. And I left you alone for years. I know that you have Mercedes now, and I've hurt you more than should ever be allowed. But the only thing I want is to make it up to you, and I'll do anything to do it. Just name it. Seriously." She said, realizing that she was one the floor in front of the bed where they were sitting, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She would beg if she had to.

"I'll forgive you if you tell me exactly what I said when we met." He said, looking seriously into her eyes. She thought back, desperate to get this right.

"You said that no one should ever have to be sad alone." She said, realizing where he was going with this. A single tear rolled down her face, but he brushed it away.

"Exactly. I can tell that you're telling the truth, and from what it seems, this is killing you just as much as it is us. I'm just…this is a horrible misunderstanding, and obviously, they almost got what they wanted. To separate us and make us hate each other. I hate letting them win, but I also never go back on a promise. It may be absolutely stupid of me, but as long as you let me, I'm never going to let you be sad alone." He said, gently tilting her face up to make sure she had heard him. The stream of tears they had all been holding back was set free, and before any of the three knew what was happening, they were all on the bed, crying and holding onto each other.

"Tina came by earlier today. None of the kids have come down." Ms. Jones informed her husband the second he walked through the door. He put his coat on the rack, trying not to look too concerned. If Delia hadn't burst into the room from the sound of screams, nothing could have gone terribly wrong, right?

"How long have they been up there?"

"Almost three hours now. Mercy was yelling for a little while, and so was Tina, but now it's completely quiet. Cal, what do we do?" She asked, feeling useless for having to ask her husband what she should do to deal with three teenage kids.

"Let's just go check on them, and ask if Tina is staying the nice. If things are too rough in there, we'll just call Tina's parents to come and get her." He said, taking his wife's hand as they made their way up the stairs into their daughter's room. No screaming yet, he noted as they turned onto the hallway. With a deep sigh, he opened the door slowly. Both parents peaked their heads in cautiously, as if they were afraid something would come flying at them. They certainly didn't expect all three children to be asleep, curled up together on Mercedes' twin sized bed.

"Should we…"

"No, let them sleep. They're too peaceful." Mr. Jones said, closing the door as softly as he could. After creeping back down the stairs, he picked up the phone to explain the situation to the Cohen-Chang's. They were surprisingly understanding and kept up with the drama of their daughter's life amazingly well. They asked if someone could just bring her back by their house whenever the children woke up and got moving and said they would call the school to say that she was preparing for the Chinese New Year. For some reason, Tina's father had quite a lot of leverage in the school system. Something about the school board had been informed he was a vampire or something? But at the moment, it didn't matter. He walked back into the kitchen to find his wife on the phone with Burt Hummel. He walked up to her, putting his arms around her stomach just the way she liked. She leaned her head against his shoulder as a sound was heard on the other line.

"Hey Burt, we were just wondering if Kurt could spend the night. Yeah, the kids are asleep." She said, waiting for a moment as his worried voice came through to where even her husband could hear it. She smiled, feeling successful as a mother for the first time this week.

"No nothing's wrong, I think something has finally went right."

**A/N **You didn't think I would just end my Tina/Kurt/Mercedes friendship, now did you? Nope, im just getting started! And yes, I could use some ideas! I know basically where this fic is going, but I started out with a climax and all of this is just a whole lot of leading up to that. Next, we are going to high school! Wonder what kind of crazy shenanigans will happen there? Oh, and if you guys are reading this and you could find it in your kind, sweet hearts to review, that would be amazing! I really need feedback, I kind of thrive on it. So, peace my wonderful readers (Oh, can I get a fan girl scream for the Klaine moment tonight? Aww!)


	7. Chapter 7, Easy As 123

"Ok, high school. How do you feel about it? Go." Kurt said, walking into his room with a bowl of popcorn to join Mercedes and Tina; who were looking through various sets of clothes from each of their closets to pick out an outfit for their first day of high school.

"Scared out of my mind, but at least we'll be styling and profiling when we get there. Tina?" Mercedes said, slipping one of Kurt's hats on. Tina looked up from the outgrown tops that Mercedes had brought her and thought for a moment.

"Kind of nervous, but why worry about it right now? We still have over twelve hours left of freedom left. Kurt?"

"Nervous, very nervous. But it's no big deal, my best girls are going to be right there with me." He said, moving to inspect his closet. Tina laughed and Mercedes pulled a clothes hanger on him.

"You better believe it! William McKinley won't know what hit them!"

"Or bit them. I swear if that phyco principle sees my family in the grocery store one more time, he's going to have a heart attack. Imagine what he'll do now that I go to school there!" She said, pulling out one of her black, lacy blouses. Kurt rushed to her side, excitedly sorting through her clothes until he found her red tank top, leather skirt with red lacy trim, and a black sparkly hat. Tina squealed and ran into the bathroom to change. When she came out, striking runway poses and strutting around Kurt's basement the friends gushed over how amazing she looked. Then they collapsed on the bed, laughing from their fashion high.

"So, tell us about Arrrrtie!" Mercedes cooed, wagging her finger at Tina. She blushed, looking like a shy school girl.

"Um…we've become a good friend, that's about it."

"Oh please Tina, we're not blind. You might be friends _for now _but you can't honestly tell me you don't really like him." Kurt said, leaning over on his knees to smile playfully at her. Tina couldn't hide the small smile that lit her face up as the butterflies in her stomach went crazy. Both of her friends shrieked happily and almost tackled her as they bombarded her with questions. But Tina didn't mind, she was having the time of her life.

But morning inevitably came, and Kurt's alarm clock seemed to wake them up way too early. Somehow they managed to drag themselves out of bed and get dressed (not too tired to risk not looking fabulous on their first day though.) Kurt's father drove them to school in relative silence, and before any of them were ready, they were standing in front of the scariest sight they had ever seen. High School.

"Wow, it's so…big." Tina said, her voice sounding small and almost scared. The three looked at each other, and without a word intertwined hands, forming a chain of strength as they braced themselves for what was to come.

Ok, so the first day wasn't so bad. Mercedes' cousin had shown them around the school, making sure that they knew where their classes were. They changed classes, but certain groups had the same schedule, and some bizarre twist of fate put the three friends in the same circuit. And to Tina's excitement, Artie was also in their circuit, and the four sat together in every class. The teachers didn't seem too bad, but a lot of the teachers either fell asleep in the middle of their lectures or just didn't teach and gave you simple worksheets. Failing was not going to be an issue, and ten minutes into each class, the group was finished and approaching boredom. But all in all, high school wasn't so bad.

Of course, the inevitable _yet _had to be tacked onto the end of that theory. The other kids were getting used to the idea too, and Tina had no doubts that their methods were going to change. Still, she didn't dwell on it, and she almost let her guard down. Almost a week went by before they realized that they couldn't stay in this blissful phase of peace long.

The day it happened, Artie and Kurt were nowhere to be found. The girls didn't think too much of it, seeing as they had seen them first period. Maybe they were skipping class? Either way, they were alone when they were cornered in the lone hallway. Every sane person was already in the cafeteria, celebrating their hour of freedom. Everyone but the ignorant jocks holding their captives hostage with multicolored slushies.

"Oh come on, this is so inma…ah!" Was all Tina was able to say before at least five of the slushies hit her. She gasped, trying to get her breath back as the cold ice stung her face and rolled down her shirt.

"Later losers, oh, and welcome to McKinley High!" They called out, laughing as they walked away. The girls didn't seem to care as they tried to get the sticky goop out of their eyes and regain movement. Once they did, they shuffled to the bathroom.

Cleaning up was a mess, but at least they were able to use hot water and warm up. Mercedes quietly fumed and Tina tried not to cry. Even with the water steaming up the mirrors in the small bathroom, both of the girls were still shivering.

"Well we still have thirty minutes of lunch and I don't really want to go to the cafeteria to give them a chance to slushy us again. Want to go outside?" Mercedes asked, breaking the tense silence. Tina nodded, following her friend to the doors.

"Oh, it feels so good out here." She said happily, feeling a lot better. Mercedes smiled at her, sitting down in the soft grass.

"Yea, it does. I wonder what happened to Kurt and Artie?" She asked, almost as an afterthought. Tina immediately took out her phone and checked her messages. She only had one from Artie, and it was gibberish. She knew something was wrong then, Artie always used 'proper grammar' in his texts.

"Maybe we should go look for them." She stood, brushing the grass quickly off her pants before heading to the closest spot, which just so happened to be the football field. She called Artie's phone as Mercedes called Kurt's, and they were surprised to hear faint ringtones. They headed toward the field, but then they just got fainter. Both girls turned, trying to find the source of the sound. The only thing they saw was an overturned pot-a-potty.

"Artie, Kurt? Where are you?" Tina put her hands to her mouth to make her voice louder as Mercedes prepared to listen hard, even though she didn't need to.

"Hey, yo were in here!" Artie's voice seemed panicked and strained. The girls barely spared each other a glance before they raced to tare the door open. Sure enough, they saw them both cramped inside. Artie's wheelchair had nearly fallen backward, and the only thing keeping him upright was Kurt. He was pinned between the wall and Artie's chair.

"Jesus, are you guys ok?" Mercedes reached out her hands as if to try and sort through the tangled mess of bodies, but she had no idea where to begin.

"Yea, I'm fine, but I fell over on Kurt. I think he's hurt." Artie said, panicking as he tried to keep the tears in his eyes from falling. Sure, he was uncomfortable, but he would be ok if Kurt would just talk to him. He had in the beginning, but as the hours wore on he had gotten quieter and quieter until he hardly answered him at all. Artie was all but in a frenzy when he heard Tina's voice.

"Ok, we have to get Artie out first. Can you grab his legs 'Cedes?" Tina was trying her best to get a good grip on Artie under his arms, but she was at an awkward angle. She knew they would probably have to drag him out.

"Kurt honey, can you hear me? Talk to me please." Mercedes pleaded as she grabbed Artie's legs, straining to think how they could do this without hurting either of them more. She knew that she needed a clear head, but she found that hard to do when her best friend was eerily silent.

"I..i'm ok. I'm fine." Artie tensed at the sound of how pained and breathless Kurt's voice was. He automatically willed himself to be lighter.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." His voice was barely a murmur as the girls tried to gently slide him out of the disgusting stall and onto the ground. They tried to sit him down gently, but couldn't keep their grip long enough to get him to the ground.

"Artie, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, just get him out." He waved them away, laying out on the grass and finally letting his tense muscles relax. Mercedes was back at the stall immediately, now able to poke her head in a little as she spoke to her now panting friend.

"Hey, let's get you out of here, ok?" She said quietly, helping him onto the ground next to Artie. She didn't like how he was so breathless, but he was moving, so that had to be good. She sat down next to him, catching his hand out of habit.

"Are you alright? Gosh, you must have been in there a long time." She said, helping him sit when he started to pull himself up.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just kind of breathless and sore, but that will be over soon." Kurt closed his eyes, as if concentrating on his breathing. Sure enough, he managed to slow it down. Satisfied that he wasn't in any immediate danger, she looked to Artie.

"What happened?" Tina had just gotten the wheelchair out of the port-a-potty, but they left it alone for a few minutes as the four sat on the ground, trying to catch their breath. Artie suddenly looked angry as he started to tell the story.

"I was going to ask the councilor about the handicap door when a bunch of football players came up behind me and started pushing my chair toward the field. Kurt was on his way to the bathroom and followed, but he didn't catch up until they got outside. He argued with them, said that putting a handicapped student in a port-a-potty was harassment and they could get expelled, but they just shoved us both in there. They left us like that for like, ten minutes before they turned it over. My chair would have flipped over, and I probably would have fell if Kurt hadn't tried to catch me and got stuck. Those punks just left." Artie's voice was more filled with disbelief than malice at the end. It was quiet for a moment before both girls started ranting.

"Oh hell to the no!"

"They cant just get away with that, can they?"

"They can, but we're not going to let them." Kurt was the one to finally calm them down, speaking normally for the first time. Tina turned to see his small smile.

"How?"

"Oh trust me, we'll just do what we do best."

"You ready for this?"

"Oh yeah, hit it girl." Artie pressed play on the boom box on his lap that they had brought to with them. Mercedes, Kurt, and Tina all jumped up on the bleachers and instantly started swaying. Half the football team looked at them like they were crazy, and the other half tried to ignore them. That is, until Kurt started singing.

_You went to school to learn girl, what you never never knew before…_

Artie smiled, seeing they had their attention as he jumped in.

_I I say I before E except after C_

_And why 2+2 makes 4 now now now I'm gonna teach you_

Tina and Mercedes joined in, singing in perfect harmony

_**Teach you, teach you**_  
_All about love girl_  
_**all about love**_  
_Sit yourself down, take a seat __  
__All you gotta do is repeat after me_ They all came in, swaying in time.

_**A B C easy as **__**  
**__**1 2 3, oh simple as **__**  
**__**do re mi, A B C, 1 2 3 baby you and me girl **__**  
**__**1 2 3 baby you and me**_

_Come on let me love you just a little bit __  
__Come on let me love u just a little bit __  
__I'm gonna teach you how to sing it out_  
_Come on come on come on let me show you what it's all about __  
__  
__Reading and writing, arithmatic __  
__all the branches of the learning tree_  
and now let me tell you girl  
_education makes complete Tite- Tite- Tite- __  
__Artie's gonna show you_  
_**show you, show you**_  
_How to get a name_  
**How to get a name**  
_Let me show you what you have to do __  
__Listen to me baby that's all you gotta do_

_**A B C, easy as **__**  
**__**1 2 3, oh simple as **__**  
**__**Do Re Mi, A B C, 1 2 3, baby you and me girl **__**  
**__**A B C, it's easy it's like counting up to 3 **__**  
**__**sing a simple melody **__**  
**__**that's how easy love can be **__**  
**__**sing a simple melody **__**  
**__**1 2 3, you and me! **_Kurt jumped down from the bleacher, facing the girls with his hand on his hips. The three had to resist not laughing at his serious expression.

_Sit down girl! __  
__I think I love you! __  
__No! Get up girl! __  
__Show me what you can do._ The girls jumped up, starting to the twist as Kurt was mock teaching them.  
_Shake it shake it baby __  
__come on now __  
__shake it shake baby_  
_ooh ooh __  
__shake it shake it baby __  
__Ho! __  
__1 2 3, baby __  
__ooh ooh __  
__A B C baby __  
__na na __  
__do re mi, baby __  
__No! __  
__That's how easy love can be _  
_**A B C, it's easy it's lake counting up to 3 **__**  
**__**sing a simple melody **__**  
**__**that's how easy love can be**_

They finished the song in a line, jazz hands high in the air. The whole team was staring at them now, seeming to be at a loss for words.

"So put that in your juice box if you can find the straw _popular kids."_ Tina said as disdainfully as they had called them losers. Artie made a sizzle noise as she undid the breaks on his chair, then together they walked toward Mercedes' mother's van, bell bottoms dragging the ground.

**A/N **Long, chapter is long! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but I hope this makes up for it! I had to pause for a moment when I realized that I have a problem. After I got off my Klaine high from "Original Songs', I realized that it kind of ruined my plot line. I knew I would probably have to mess with it, but now I kind of feel bad making Blaine be the bad guy for a while. Oh well, I just hope no one hates me for that! So…please review and tell me what you think! Oh by the way, I don't own Glee, or its characters, just thought you should know that ;)


	8. Chapter 8, Gleek Out

It didn't take long for the friends to come to the conclusion that high school sucked. By the end of Freshman Year, they were sure that it would be all they could do to survive the next three years. And then Artie and Tina rolled upon something that had the potential to change the course of their high school lives.

"Auditions for Glee Club?" Artie wasted no time in signing his own name on the sheet, but Tina was still hesitant. She was shy normally, and singing in front of a crowd? She loved to sing, but she wasn't sure if she could sing on a stage in front of actual people.

"Why not? It's not like we have anything to lose. Come on Tina, I know how much you love to sing, lets just try it." He was right there; she didn't have anything to lose. Maybe it would make her even more of a loser, but really, how much further did she have to fall? Kurt and Mercedes had already signed up, and Tina saw the infamous Rachel Berry star before she actually read the sheet. If they were going to be losers, why not be losers together and do what they loved to do at the same time?

Well, maybe they kind of sucked at first, but that was just because they weren't in sync yet, right? But they got a lot better when Finn Hudson joined, and things in Tina's life started to change. She got slushied almost daily, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her last period was always spent anxiously watching the clock, waiting for it to be time to go to Glee rehearsal. For the first time she could remember, she didn't dread going to school. And she saw a change in her friends as well. Mercedes seemed to be more bold, and her clothing got a lot brighter. Artie and Kurt got the worst of the abuse, but nothing could keep the smiles off their faces when 3:30 rolled around. Glee was infectious, metaphorically and literally.

They never expected their teacher, Mr. Shue, to tell them that he was leaving.

The group was shocked, well, with the exception of Finn who Tina had a feeling didn't want to be there in the first place. They tried not to beg him to stay, but when Mercedes finally spoke, she couldn't keep the helplessness out of her voice. This was it, they had finally found a place where they belonged, and it was going to be over before it really started. Rachel tried to take over, but everyone knew it would never work. Rachel was too self centered to lead a group. It may make her an amazing performer, but she would never be able to teach people to work as a team when she hardly could herself.

So that's why Tina ended up laying on her bed, looking at the New Directions poster she had made in an excitable moment only a week ago. All the happiness that the four, possibly five if they could ever stand Rachel, friends had found had left with Mr. Shue. Tina, Rachel, and Mercedes were back to brushing slushy out of their hair in the girls bathroom without the sound of half way content humming in the background. Artie's chair got pushed down a stairwell, thank God without him in it, and Kurt's car was vandalized all in the same _day. _They couldn't even put on an appearance of being happy.

Tina _needed _someone to talk to, needed someone who understood where she was coming from. But she had called Mercedes three times this week already and she didn't want to worry Kurt or Artie. So she picked up her phone and dialed the only other number in her phone besides her parents.

"Hello, Rachel Berry speaking, how may I help you?" Tina tried to open her mouth to answer, but all that came out was a breathless little sob. There was a pause on the other end.

"Tina?"

"H…hey Rachel. I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know Tina, it's ok." And with that, the barrier broke and Tina's tears fell without hesitation. She cried until she fell asleep, still on the phone with Rachel who never stopped whispering little nothings into the phone until she was fast asleep.

The next day, Tina walked by the dumpster to see Kurt struggling to crawl out. She stopped, holding back the tears that had come from seeing her friend so hurt, and helped him out. Once he was on the ground, she handed him his bag and linked arms with him as they braved another day of school. Mercedes appeared with her rain coat and Artie with a newly repaired chair. Kurt linked arms with Mercedes and he grabbed Artie's handle in an offering of strength. When Tina saw Rachel by her locker, watching the jock with a slushy in his hand cautiously, she offered her a spot in their line, which she gladly took. And there they were, the Gleeks of McKinley High, giving each other comfort in the only way they could at the moment.

"So let's meet in the auditorium for practice today, maybe we can come up with something…" Rachel said, trailing off as they collectively ducked to avoid someone's slushy. The other four nodded, finally breaking up to go to their separate classes. Later, they met in the auditorium, but all wasn't going well. Rachel was trying, but she just couldn't seem to get that the rest of them weren't professionally trained. They needed a leader, they needed Mr. Shue.

Just then Finn came in, pushing a slightly agitated Artie. Tina tensed, wondering if he was here to insult them like all the other football players, but when Artie smiled tightly at him she tried to relax. Ok, he was probably here to apologize.

But the jock surprised her, confessing that he didn't want to give this up, or them up. That Glee was the one thing that had made him happy for a while. Instantly, the five Gleeks accepted him. They had nothing to lose at that point, and Finn seemed genuine. Plus, he brought his natural leadership talents to the plate and the next thing they knew, they had a number put together. Their version of "Don't Stop Believing" wasn't perfect to say the least, but Tina saw it as perfectly flawed. The now six of them sang their hearts out, meaning every lyric that they harmonized to. They sang and danced and just had fun. None of them could remember actually having that much fun since the year had started. Tina was a little sad when it was over and they all bowed their heads. Then they heard a faint noise that made them look up in joyful disbelief.

"That was good guys. It was a nine, but we're going to make it a ten." Mr. Shue said, clapping slowly and smiling at them. The pride in his eyes was evident and it gave Tina the most amazing feeling of hope she could ever remember. "From the top!"

Tina was sure that he didn't mean for them to start screaming when he said that, but he just laughed all the same. Tina jumped for joy, ending up in Mercedes' arms almost before she hit the ground. When she finally let her go she was attacked by a flying Rachel Berry and then swung around in Kurt's spinning hug. She hit the ground dizzy and fell into Artie's lap. He laughed, pulling her close as she could feel her friends amused eyes stray to her. She blushed as he leaned into her ear to whisper something.

"And you said you didn't want to sign up. Who says Glee cant change your life?"

**A/N: **Yeah, who says Glee cant change your life? It changed mine! Show of hands if it changed yours! Haha well he finally reached canon! Im just going to warn you, some of my lines might not be perfect here so bear with me. I also have two five page papers due Saturday and Tuesday, a final, and two oral presentations to create so if I don't update soon, I am so sorry! But that's your life when you're an Early College student. So…that amazing little button down there that says review? You should click it, it gives you virtual cookies :D.


End file.
